Potential Training Programme for Academic Beginners

Abstract

The matter of teaching staff training is an essential element for both education systems and for all contemporary societies. Nowadays, education is considered one of the essential pillars on which a knowledge society is founded. In such a society, the education system acquires a central role, and the teacher becomes one of the main actors. Each individual is encouraged and helped to make use of his/her abilities and opportunities of learning throughout his/her entire life. Therefore the university professors are expected and required to offer very much; to turn this vision into reality depends to a large extent on such professors. Professors play a determinant role in training the youth taking into account that the former have to teach the latter not only how to trustfully view the future but also how to build that future with responsibility and awareness. The importance of the teaching staff's role, as agent of change, promoting understanding and tolerance is very high. Therefore, the responsibility placed on the shoulders of professors is enormous, as they are among those involved in shaping the character of new generations. Today, teachers training involve changes in knowledge, attitudes and professional conduct, emphasizing the idea of proactive and efficient adaptability to new, unfamiliar and difficult situations. Current and future teaching staff is key player in any strategy that aims to stimulate and develop a knowledge-based society, as access to knowledge is a key issue of such a society. Considering this and the recent reform of the university teacher training system, this study proposes, at the institutional policy level, the implementation of a training program for beginner academics. The training program addresses issues related to training methodology in higher education, student-centered learning and has a special structure described in detail in the paper.